Why I Say G’Day

At some stage every elite athlete needs to make a choice that will impact the rest of his or her career...

...should I wave, or not wave, off the bike!

I’m not kidding.

I’ve sat in on long conversations with world-class athletes that agonize with this decision.

The way we treat strangers gives an insight into how we see ourselves. There’s a lot of data mining (on our psychological profile) that can be done by linking up our blogs, social networks and forum posts. That’s why I follow my team!

For me, waving off the bike is a small gift. I am sending little bits of happiness, and acknowledgement, into the world. When I send “the wave,” I have done my part to make the world a better place.

It’s worth thinking about why you wave.

Regardless of the reaction, my world is a little better -- because I’ve been riding my bike and was happy enough to give a shout out.

If I don’t get a wave back, and hold that inside me until I get home to write about it...

...then I have a habit of holding negativity inside me. That habit can limit performance, and slow recovery.

If you are prone to carrying slights around with you then you likely spend a lot of energy thinking about the people that disagree with you. If that’s the case then you can improve your life by avoiding public forums, turning the comments off on your blog and operating a one-strike policy for blocking on social networks.

It’s just a wave, or forum post, right? I’m not so sure.

Energy that we spend on imagined slights is not available for other uses -- such as recovering from training, helping our star performers or creating flow during our key sessions.

If you were going to transcend “the way you are” then you probably would have pulled that off in the last 20 to 50 years. It might be more effective to accept the way you are and structure your life so you can be highly effective within your circle.

I give gifts to the world so I can stay in balance and have the peace of mind to focus on what brings me happiness. What the world does with my gifts isn’t up to me.

This week’s photo is Matty Reed. He’s the fastest guy I know who waves Every-Single-Time! Not that I’m keeping score on the rest of you...

Choose Wisely